Mentioning AI in Products May Reduce Consumer Trust and Purchase Intent

The increasing use of AI in products may not always lead to higher sales, as mentioning the technology can reduce consumer trust and purchase intent.

Key findings: A study led by Washington State University researchers reveals that including the term “artificial intelligence” in product descriptions consistently lowered consumers’ likelihood of buying those products:

• Across experiments involving over 1,000 U.S. adults, products described as using AI were consistently less popular compared to identical offerings without the AI mention.
• The negative impact of AI disclosure on purchase intent was mediated by lower levels of emotional trust, suggesting consumers feel less confident about AI-powered products.

High-risk products more vulnerable: The detrimental effect of mentioning AI was particularly pronounced for “high-risk” products and services, where consumers tend to feel more uncertainty or anxiety about their purchases:

• High-risk categories like expensive electronics, medical devices, or financial services saw an even stronger negative response to AI disclosure.
• The researchers posit that because failure in these categories carries more potential downside, such as monetary loss or physical harm, the AI mention may heighten consumer wariness.

Implications for marketers: The findings suggest companies should be strategic about how they position and describe AI in their offerings:

• Marketers may be better served by emphasizing product features and benefits rather than highlighting the use of AI, especially for high-risk categories.
• Developing strategies to boost emotional trust could help mitigate the negative impact of AI disclosure on consumer perceptions and purchase intent.

Analyzing deeper: While the study provides valuable insights, it also raises additional questions about the complex relationship between AI and consumer behavior:

• As AI becomes more ubiquitous, will increased familiarity and understanding of the technology eventually mitigate the trust deficit identified in this research?
• How might demographic factors like age, education level, or tech-savviness influence individual responses to AI disclosure in product descriptions?
• Beyond purchase intent, what other consumer behaviors or attitudes might be impacted by the framing of AI in marketing communications?

Answering these questions will require ongoing research to keep pace with the rapid evolution of both AI technologies and consumer perceptions.